Flat hosiery frame knitting machine



Jan. 10, 1939. P. LIEBERKNECHT 2,143,436

I FLAT HOSIERY FRAME KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 10, 1936 \NVENTOR PAUL, L-IEB'ERKNECHT 'ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 10, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 2.143.486 FLAT nosmnr FRAME KNITTING Paul Lieberknecht,

Einsiedel, near Chemnitz, Germany Application October 10, 1936, Serial No. 105,106 In Germany November 25, 1935 3Claims.

This invention relates to flat hosiery frame knitting machines provided with means for shortening the way of the slur cock.

Attempts were made to lessen the amplitude of 5 the slur cock in order to retard its motion and, at the same time, the sinking of the loops of a freshly laid thread as compared with the working speed of the needles in fashioning the loops. This is important, for instance, in order to be able to reinforce by plating the high heel portions of stockings 'when the-machine runs at high speed.

As the slur cock owing to the reduction of its way when fashioning theloops does not take a position beside the section of needles, but remains within the same, the slur cock in fashion- 1 ing the loops would be in the way of some of the jacks serving for operating the sinkers, whereby these jacks when moving backwards would strike upon the slur cock.

To avoid this inconvenience hitherto either the slur cock on its carrier or the carrier together with the slur cock was withdrawn at each single row of loops after completion of the sinking, and 7 was pushed forward again before the beginning of the next sinking operation. In order to effect this properly, the device performing this forward and backward movement of the slur cock (and, if desired, its carrier) must work: very exactly which would require complicated extra devices. Moreover the additional movements of the heavy parts of those extra devices would interfere with the normal operation of the machine.

According to the present invention the toand-fro motion of the slur cook or its carrier is dispensed with by leaving in their forward position those sinkers which can no more be influenced by the slur cock owing to the shortening of its way so that these sinkers cannot be withdrawn by the catch bar after the sinking and the division ofa thread, and the slur cock can be reciprocated on a stationary bar in the usual way, even when it is to influence only part of the sinkers. Thus the invention relates to devices by which parts of the front edge of the facing bar when returning the latter may be adjusted into an inactive position in respect to the feet of the sinkers. whereas the other parts of the front edge when moving backwards take along the sinkers just being in their range.

The annexed drawing illustrates several embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a flat hosiery frame knitting machine provided with means for shortening the guiding and operating the sinkers, parts of the 5 catch bar being adapted for being turned over.

Fig. 3 is a plan view corresponding to Fig: 2.

Fig. 4 shows, in side elevation or cross-section respectively, the withdrawal of all sinkers and dividers by means of a graduated catch bar normally adjusted.

Fig. 5 illustrates the same. parts as Fig. 4, but in a different relative position.

Fig. 6 is a front view of the catch bar according to Figs. 4 and 5.

Figs. '1 and 8 show two sinkers with feet different in height.

. Fig. 9 shows a dividing sinker.

Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate, in side elevation, the drive of the sinkers and dividers according to Figs. 7 to 9.

The frame needles l0 cooperate wi h the'jack sinkers 6 and the dividing sinkers I in 'the usual way, the frame needles being moved, in the wellknown manner, upwards and downwards and to and fro.

The catch bar comprises a lower part 'I and 1 an upper part 2. The latter carries at its front edge a downwardly projecting rib 8. Between this rib 8 and the lower part I of the facing bar the feet 6' or 1' respectively of the jack sinkers and the dividing sinkers 6 or 1 are caught when these elements are to be withdrawn. The lower part i of the facing bar has moreover the function to move the dividing sinkers forwarddor the purpose of dividing the previously sunk thread.

In order to reciprocate the catch bar I, 2 in the manner described, it is secured to the links I2 linked at their rear end to levers ll by means of bolts l3. The levers M are fixed on the shaft l5 which is turned to and fro through a small angle by the lever l6. For this purpose a roll I1 is pivoted on the lever l6 contiguous to a camdisk I8. The latter is fixed on the well-known cam shaft l9. Corresponding to the shape of the cam-disk Hi the shaft I5 is turned forwards and backwards, whereby the catch bar I, 2 is moved horizontally forwards and backwards.

In order to displace the catch bar up and down, the fore ends of the links l2 rest on rods the lower ends of which are pivoted by bolts 2| on levers 22 secured to the shaft 23 which is turned correspondingly by means of the lever 24, the

roll 25 and the cam-disk 26 fixed on the camshaft l9, whereby the catch bar I, 2 is lifted or lowered as required. The total arrangement is so calculated that on advancing the facing bar, i. e., when it has to push forward the dividers I, the rod 2|] is lifted and the catch bar is moved upon a correspondinglyelevated way in order that its rib 8 may pass over the feet 8' of the sinkers. Hereupon the rod 20 including the catch bar I, 2 is lowered to such an extent, that the facing bar catches besides the feet of the dividers also those of the sinkers and takes them along on its back movement.

Now in order that the catch bar on its back movement takes along only part of the sinkers.

leaving the others in their advanced position, several portions of its upper part 2 are adapted for being swung as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. These portions capable of being swung are in the range of the lateral portions of each section ofneedles. The portion of the upper part 2 of the catch bar is kept somewhat broader than the piece of ware to be produced after the narrowing.

The upper portions 3 which are capable of being swung are firmly connected with the shaft 4 and-are pivoted on the part 2. They are secured in or out of their operative position by a flat spring 5. In their elevated position the portions 3 can no more catch and return the sinkers 6 lying in their range. Therefore the jacks 9 belonging to the said sinkers do not come within the range of the slur cock which consequently may remain behind those jacks and need not be withdrawn sidewards or'rearwards from the respective section of needles.

Instead of making portions of the facing bar capable of being swung, the fore edge 8 of the facing bar could be made to extend not so far downwards as shown in Fig. 6, the lateral portions 8' hanging down not as low as the middle portion 8" of that edge 8 within the range of each section of needles. In this case an especial cam-disk'ifi' is provided on the cam shaft l9 by which the rod 20 and therewith the catch bar I?! on its backward movement is not lowered to the usual extent as shown in Fig. 4, but only as shown in Fig. 5. Therefore when only the dividera 7 and the middle sinkers 6 are to be withdrawn, the facing bar i, '2 is tobe adjusted according to Fig. 5 so that merely the lower reachi ng portion 8" of the fore edge of the upper part 2' of the catch bar catches from behind the feet of the respective sinkers and dividers and takes them along on its backward movement, whereas those sinkers which are within the range of the parts 8' of the edge ofthe catch bar which do not reach so low remain undisplaced on the return movement of the catch bar.

Instead of subdividing or graduating the fore edge 8 of the upper part of the catch bar, the feet 6' or 6" of the sinkers may be made to reach different heights, the fore edge of the catch bar keeping the same level everywhere. When in this case the facing bar is adjusted on its backward movement to the depth shown in Fig. 10, all of the sinkers 8 are taken along, whereas when the catch bar is adjusted on its return movement somewhat higher, as shown in Fig. 11, only those sinkers are caught and taken along whose feet project to a corresponding level. It may be noted that in all cases the feet i of the dividers I project to a higher level than the feet 6' of the sinkers 6, and consequently always all of the dividers are taken along on the backward movement of the catch bar, whereby the movement of the slur cock is not influenced, because within the range of the dividers no jacks 9 are provided which then could obstruct the path of the slum cock.

1 In connection with the means for shortening the transverse of the slur cock various devices are already known for carrying out this shortening step as for instance disclosed in German Patents Nos. 535,632, 582,174 and 593,777 and U. S. Patent No. 1,749,479.

I claim:

1. In a flat hosiery frame knitting machine provided with a plurality of sinkers and a device for shortening the way of the slur cock, a catch bar the fore edge of which is graduated; and a cam disk and levers for raising and lowering the catch harm that only a limited number of sinkers will be engaged and retracted by said catch ban due to the graduations thereon.

2. In a fiat hosiery frame knitting machine provided with a device for shortening the way of the slur cook, a catch. bar having a continuous and uniform fore edge, said catch bar having an upper part and a iowerpart, dividers and sinkers having feet, the feet of the sinkers being of different height than the feet of the dividers, and means whereby the upper part of the catch bar may be adjusted as to height upon its backward movement.

3. In a fiat hosiery frame knitting machine provided with a plurality of sinkers and a device for shortening the way of the slur cook, a catch bar, and selective means cooperating with the catch bar arranged so that the catch bar may retract all the sinkers or only a limited number of sinkers.

PAUL LIEBERWECHT. 

